Reality is a Fickle Friend
by OfCakeAndIceCream
Summary: What is reality? What is time? Hermione thought her troubles were over with the defeat of Voldemort, but a mysterious fog sends her to a reality in which Voldemort reigns supreme, how will she survive where she does not belong?


**Authors Notes: I hope you enjoy this story; I do not have a Beta reader at the moment so I apologize for any mishaps in grammar. Please tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter!**

**This story is non-compliant with many aspects of the book, particularly book 7. Hence the AU warning so please do not correct anything, that is non-canon...**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 1: Forbidden for a Reason.

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The Forbidden Forest was Forbidden for a reason, the creatures that lurked there did not take kindly to intruders upon their territory. The students of Hogwarts spun tales of many who entered the forest never returning, lost forever in a mass of trees and fog. Seemingly harmless stories told by children, however Hermione Granger knew just how true they were. She had several experiences with the residents of the forest, and knew how easy it would be for a witch or wizard to cross the wrong creature (of which there were many) and to never be seen again.

However, what neither she nor the students understood was that it was not always the beasts of the forest who swept the unwary witches or wizards to their dooms. It was the fog. The fog that crept silently closer as the young girl hurriedly gathered potion ingredients for the wounded at Hogwarts.

Hermione paid the fog no mind, instead paying close attention to the plants and fungi she was gathering. Her wand illuminated so that she could clearly see the mushroom she held, studying intently to make sure that it was the proper one. She had to be careful, some would slay her class mates while others would heal. Hermione refused to make that mix up, they had all suffered enough already. More then enough.

She shuddered for a moment, remembering the final battle that had taken place mere days ago. She remembered dead and dying witches and wizards. Death Eaters, Aurors, and worse yet students. Classmates had perished in that battle, along with friends. Tears welled up in Hermione's honey colored eyes as she recalled Ron throwing himself in front of a killing curse to protect his younger sister. Ginny hadn't spoken since.

Ron...Hermione shook herself, attempting to regain control of her emotions. She couldn't break down and cry here, not now. There were many in the castle counting on her to bring back these ingredients. Special ingredients that had to be picked at just the right time, a few hours before dawn. The only other person who could properly do the task was Madam Pomfrey and she had more beds then she could handle. St. Mungo's had been attacked, and Hogwarts small infirmary had been turned into a mini-hospital of sorts. There weren't many healers to spare, so it had been Hermione who had volunteered to go out into the forbidden forest to gather the ingredients. It was the least she could do to help.

The fog crept closer and closer, and still Hermione paid it no mind. It was not long before it surrounded her yet still she paid it no heed, she had memorized step by step how to return to the castle. While some might get lost in the fog Hermione was confident that she would be able to find her way back as she gathered the last of the ingredients. Upon double-checking all of the potions ingredients, Hermione stood and wand out ahead of her she began to head back towards the castle. To her home, to her friends.

But the fog had consumed Hermione Granger, and it would not allow her to return there. Instead it did to her what it had done to countless other witches and wizards...it sent her where she did not belong. Where she had never belonged. It gave no warning that it did this, not a mysterious flash of light or even a ripple in the air. As Hermione Granger stepped out of the Forbidden Forest and out of the fog...she immediately froze, she didn't breath nor did she blink, and she was quite certain her heart had stopped beating.

It was not the peaceful, mournful Hogwarts that met her gaze. It was a battle, jets of varying color lights, shouts of rage, and screams of horror. The air did not smell crisp or clean it smelt like death. Just it had those few days ago, but that was impossible! All the Death Eaters were either dead or captured; with a few fleeing to other countries there certainly weren't enough to attack Hogwarts especially with their leader dead! This was impossible! It wasn't happening!

Hermione dropped the basket of carefully gathered ingredients and rushed towards the battle, as she grew closer she heard laughter, laughter so cold that it chilled her to the bone. Along with it she heard cries of "RETREAT!" and a large mass of people rushed past her towards the Forest casting curses and counter curses to protect themselves. Hermione turned as if to follow them, when she was surrounded. Those that surrounded her wore long black cloaks...and masks. She recognized them instantly, Death Eaters.

"What do we have here?" A voice she vaguely recognized purred from behind a mask, Hermione spun around pointing her wand at the person who had spoken, eliciting a chuckle from the other Death Eaters, "a rebel I take it? A pretty one too...I thought starving and running in the forest had killed off the last of the pretty ones." Another chuckle from the Death Eaters and Hermione glared at the man, attempting to place a face to the voice.

"Go to hell." She said glaring at the other, swallowing the fear that had crept its way up her throat. Another round of chuckles greeted her statement, and she tightened her grip on her wand.

"And a spark as well!" The Death Eater said, in a malicious tone, "isn't this exciting boys...I'm sure the Dark Lord will enjoy this..."

"Voldemort is dead!" Hermione hissed, and this time it was not chuckles but angry mutterings that met her words, they raised their wands and Hermione braced herself for the killing curse that she thought would come.

"Oh am I now?" A cool sardonic voice drifted towards her, and she turned to face that voice her eyes wide with fear. A tall dark figure, with a hood concealing its face was walking towards the group and the Death Eaters immediately parted all bowing in respect, while Hermione stood afraid and trembling. The voice...it wasn't that of the Lord Voldemort she had heard, it was not snake like...but rather deep, masculine, powerful.

Terrifying.

The figure slid back the hood that hid its face, and Hermione was taken aback. It was not the face of a snake that met her, but rather one of a man in his prime. A handsome man, with high cheekbones and features seemingly carved out of marble. However his eyes, the color was not that of a man, but rather the color of a demon. Blood red eyes burned into her honey eyes and there was no doubt in Hermione's whom she was facing.

He wasn't dead, and all Hermione could do was stand there in shock. She didn't know what to do, what to say, had she not been clutching her wand so tightly she was certain she would have dropped it in shock.

What the hell was going on?

Voldemort looked at the girl, his features unreadable as always. She was wearing what appeared to be muggle clothes, unusual muggle clothes at that. It appeared as if she was wearing rather tight trousers! Women wearing trousers the very thought was absurd to him. The top was modest enough, a simple button up white blouse but still the girl looked odd. Out of place. Most noticeably because she was at an obviously healthy weight, when he knew most of the rebels were starving in the forest. Not to mention she believed him dead? Who could possibly defeat Lord Voldemort! He was the most powerful wizard in the world. This insignificant girl thought someone could defeat him? Fool.

"Who do you think could defeat me little girl?" Voldemort asked the Death Eaters chuckling darkly at their masters words, also wondering who this slip of a girl thought could defeat the Dark Lord.

"H-Harry!" Hermione stuttered, attempting to regain her composure, "I saw him kill you!" Where was Harry? Were all the students injured in the hospital wing all right? Or had the Dark Lord viciously murdered them? Her heart seemed to jump into her throat and she swallowed it back down. Harry…where was Harry! Where was the Boy-Who-Lived?

"And who, might I ask is Harry little girl?"

Those words shocked Hermione to her core; she stood there staring at Lord Voldemort. Who was Harry? Who was the boy he'd been trying for years to kill?

Something was wrong. Something was very very wrong.

"I've wasted enough time on your foolishness," Voldemort said growing irritated with the girls' shocked silence. Was she surprised? No one could defeat him, nor would anyone. For those years he had spent in that school and out of it, he had studied magics of all kinds. He knew spells that this fool of a girl probably couldn't dream of. "STUPEFY!" He growled pointing his wand at the unknown girl.

"PROTEGO!" Hermione cried in return reflecting the Stunning Curse back at the Dark Lord who casually waved his wand also deterring the curse. Voldemort stared at the young girl, standing there trembling but determined. Raising a hand he stopped his Death Eaters who had raised their own wands to curse the young girl.

"So," Voldemort said chuckling a hint of malice in his blood red eyes as he took a step towards the girl who still had her wand raised, "you want to duel then? Do you dare face Lord Voldemort knowing how many people have fallen before this wand?"

Hermione stood tall looking directly into those eyes, feeling as if they were boring into her soul. Her hand didn't tremble, she steeled herself preparing to face death, "Yes." Hermione said softly, "If I'm going to die…I'll die fighting."

Voldemort grinned, yet it did not reach his cold eyes. He was amused, and if there was one thing that was more dangerous then raising the Dark Lord's ire it was raising his interest.

"Very well girl," he said raising his wand and nodding his head in a mocking bow, he had no fear of a girl who looked barely old enough to have graduated Hogwarts.

"My name," Hermione growled as she gave a sharp jerk of her head, "is Hermione Granger." Voldemort merely smirked in reply and both raised their wands, the air stilled for a moment as the duel began.

Curses flew, and the Death Eaters gathered around their master and the rebel witch. A series of curses followed by counter curses, both wizard and witch seemingly predicting one another's next attacks.

Voldemort scowled inwardly as he battled with the girl, he had expected this to take seconds. However the girl was proving that she was far from the naïve little rebel brat he had believed. There were curses that she was both casting and blocking that were only in rare tomes, most in the restricted section of Hogwarts Library. This girl, "Hermione Granger" as she had called herself was proving to be more interesting –and irritating- then he had previously given her credit for.

However, he was Voldemort, this girl would fall and he would pry all the mysteries out of her pretty little mind. No one challenged Lord Voldemort and escaped unscathed.

Hermione felt herself growing tired, weaker even. The pace in the duel was only rising and the curses becoming more advanced and creative. Yet as she sweated and struggled, it appeared that he was still calm and still composed. How had Harry done it? Hermione wondered, she hadn't been there for Voldemorts defeat, and had thought that Harry was simply being humble when he had called it dumb luck. Now she understood. Now it was her turn.

Hermione rolled on the ground to dodge a curse and raised her wand, the words came out of her mouth before she could think, "AVADA KEDAVRA!" She screamed, but her voice trembled and there was fear in her eyes. Voldemorts eyes widened slightly but it was not the bright green light that erupted from her wand, rather a green mist that shot weakly towards Voldemort before fading several feet for him. The attempt at the Killing Curse had drained Hermione's energy and she remained on the ground her chest heaving, her lungs felt as if they were on fire. She looked up at the Dark Lord as he approached her flicking his wand and her own flew into his hand. Hermione looked up at him, with anger and fear, her stomach clenching and unclenching. Was this what it felt like? Facing ones impending doom? Did people about to die feel a total loss of control, a total loss of hope?

"You have to MEAN it girl." Voldemort said chuckling darkly at the fallen witch, although he would not say it he was impressed by the witch's attempt at the Killing Curse. Especially since it appeared to be her first time casting the curse, most of his Death Eaters couldn't even produce a green spark let alone a semi-corporeal spell on their first attempt. The girl had power, and she had knowledge. "Unforgivable Curses take more then just the knowledge of how to cast them, you need something to want to kill, to cause pain." Raising his wand he chuckled, "like so, CRUCIO!"

Pain filled her body, as if a thousand knifes were stabbing her body. Hermione gasped for breath but even her lungs burned. This was a torture that she had never experienced before, a pain she had never suffered. Feeling as if death would be preferable to this suffering.

With a wave of his wand Voldemort withdrew the curse, and Hermione let out a small groan clutching her chest as she took deep breaths. He chuckled obviously amused at the weakened witch before him "take her to my chambers." He ordered, "I'll be interrogating this one myself." The Death Eaters nodded and grabbed the girl by her arms dragging her back to the castle, as she attempted to weakly struggle against their grip.

"Abraxas Malfoy..." Voldemort said turning to one of his Death Eaters who slid off his mask, revealing the face of a man in his mid twenties, Malfoy bowed politely before his master, "look up the name Granger. See if you can find anything."

"Of course my Lord." Malfoy said bowing once more as he too retreated back towards the castle, leaving the Dark Lord to stand-alone on the Hogwarts grounds. Voldemort pondered the sudden appearance of the girl, who was this "Harry" she believed to have defeated him? Where had she come from? And how was her knowledge of magic and spells nearly equivalent to the knowledge he had gathered over years of studying and practice. Voldemort was certain he would have heard of such a brilliant witch in Hogwarts, she seemed to be possibly 10 years younger then himself, but he'd had his spies…he would have known.

Curious indeed.

Looking towards the Forbidden Forest, Voldemort frowned and turned his back walking back towards his castle. The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was now his headquarters, and the students that remained were of the elite…of the pure bloods, all to be trained to join the Death Eaters. To join the future, yes the future. His future.

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**Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this story. Please give me feedback, and I would greatly appreciate corrections on grammar, and a BETA if anyone is up to the challenge!**


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